Heat exchanger with highly flexible use

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger, comprising a box-like body which delimits inside it at least one heat exchange chamber and has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the passage through the chamber of combustion products along a preferred path. The box-like body defines at least partly in its side walls at least one duct for feeding a fluid and inside the heat exchange chamber elements are provided and are associated with the supply duct in order to increase the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger comprises a plurality of distinct modular elements which are mutually to interconnected in order to define the box-like body. Each modular element may comprise at least one portion of the heat exchange elements, of the supply duct and of the chamber.

This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 11425007, filed Jan. 17, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger with highly flexible use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays heat exchangers are known which are adopted in boilers designed to heat a fluid which is generally constituted by water or diathermic oil.

Such heat exchangers are generally constituted by a monolithic box-like structure which is often made of aluminum and is such as to define inside it at least one heat exchange chamber that can be crossed by hot combustion gases.

The duct for feeding the fluid to be heated, which by convection and conduction absorbs the heat carried by the combustion gases, is provided in the side walls of such box-like structure.

In order to improve the thermal efficiency of such heat exchangers, it is known to provide inside the heat exchange chamber a plurality of solid pins, which are integral with the box-like structure and are adapted to increase the surface for heat exchange between the burned gases and the inside walls of the box-like structure.

A known evolution of such solid pins consists in making them hollow and in making the fluid to be heated pass through them. This last solution is such as to further increase the thermal efficiency of the exchanger but suffers the drawback that, in order to provide the hollow pins, such pins must have a large cross-section so as to allow circulation of the fluid to be heated inside them.

This fact leads to an increase in the dimensions of the voids between one pin and the next, thus allowing the combustion gases to pass through the heat exchange chamber without adequately flowing over the pins that are present inside it.

In practice, this increase in size does not allow optimum utilization of the heat of the combustion gases that circulate in the heat exchanger.

In the particular case in which the heat exchanger is adopted in condensation gas boilers, the exchanger is provided with a burner located at the upper head of the heat exchanger and the combustion products are conveyed into a portion of space that extends from the head to the bottom of the exchanger, where a duct for evacuation to the flue is provided.

Such conventional heat exchangers are not devoid of drawbacks, which include the fact that, depending on the design specifications and therefore on the boiler in which installation is to occur, they must be sized appropriately and obtained by providing a dedicated manufacturing process for each type of heat exchanger manufactured, with an obvious economical impact.

More specifically, this drawback is felt even more strongly when it is not possible to achieve economies of scale during manufacture, i.e., when the number of heat exchangers to be manufactured is limited to a few units and, especially, when the design specifications have particular nonstandard requirements.

Among the variables to be considered during the design of a heat exchanger, in addition to a simple size factor which is correlated to the space occupation and spaces available inside the boiler, and to the thermal power to be exchanged, the desired number of burners and the number of heat exchange chambers can be particularly important, for example if one wishes to obtain a heat exchanger with exchangeable thermal power that is variable.

Another drawback of conventional exchangers consists in that, since they are generally provided by means of a monolithic structure obtained by casting, the provision of the internal hollow pins is an operation which is difficult and expensive to perform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger with highly flexible use which solves and overcomes, respectively, the above mentioned drawbacks and limitations of conventional heat exchangers.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger with highly flexible use which, thanks to its particular constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat exchanger with highly flexible use that is competitive from a merely economical standpoint.

This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a heat exchanger with highly flexible use, comprising a box-like body which delimits inside it at least one heat exchange chamber and has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the passage through said at least one heat exchange chamber of combustion products along a preferred path, said box-like body defining at least partly in its side walls at least one duct for feeding a fluid to be heated and inside said at least one heat exchange chamber heat exchange elements being provided and associated with said at least one supply duct in order to increase the thermal efficiency of said heat exchanger, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of distinct modular elements which are mutually interconnected in order to define said box-like body, each one of said modular elements comprising at least one portion of said heat exchange elements, at least one portion of said supply duct and at least one portion of said at least one heat exchange chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of four preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a heat exchanger with highly flexible use, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a heat exchanger with highly flexible use, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a component of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the component shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view from above of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 5, taken along the line VI-VI;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 5, taken along the line VII-VII;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a variation of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 5, taken along the line VI-VI;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a heat exchanger with highly flexible use, according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a component of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a plan view from above of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 12, taken along the line XIII-XIII;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 12, taken along the line XIV-XIV;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a variation of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 12, taken along the line XIV-XIV;

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of a heat exchanger with highly flexible use, according to the invention;

FIG. 17 is a plan view from above of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 17, taken along the line XVIII-XVIII;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 17, taken along the line XIX-XIX;

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of two heat exchangers with highly flexible use, according to the invention;

FIG. 21 is a plan view from above of the heat exchanger shown in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of one of the two heat exchangers shown in FIG. 21, taken along the line XXII-XXII;

FIG. 23 is a sectional view of the two heat exchangers shown in FIG. 21, taken along the line XXIII-XXIII;

FIGS. 24 and 25 are two perspective views of a plurality of heat exchangers such as the ones shown in FIG. 20 and composed together according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the figures, the heat exchanger with highly flexible use, generally designated in the four embodiments by the reference numeral 1 followed by the subscripts “a”, “b”, “c” and “d” in order to identify in sequence the four proposed embodiments, generally comprises a box-like body 2 a, 2 b, 2 c and 2 d, which delimits inside it at least one heat exchange chamber 3 and has at least one inlet 4 and at least one outlet 5 for the passage through the heat exchange chamber 3 of combustion products along a preferred path which, once installed, is substantially and preferably parallel to the vertical direction.

In greater detail, as will be described further hereinafter, each box-like body 2 a, 2 b, 2 c and 2 d defines, in its side walls, at least one duct for feeding a fluid to be heated, and inside the heat exchange chamber 3 heat exchange elements 7 are provided which are associated with the supply duct in order to increase the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger 1 a, 1 b, 1 c or 1 d, by increasing the heat exchange surface.

According to the invention, there is a plurality of distinct modular elements which are mutually interconnected in order to define the box-like body 2 a, 2 b, 2 c and 2 d.

With reference to the first and second embodiments, shown respectively in FIGS. 1 to 8 and in FIGS. 9 to 15, the heat exchangers 1 a and 1 b comprise two modular end elements 8 a or 8 b which are mutually distinct and mutually associable.

More precisely, an additional modular element 9 a or 9 b is interposed between each pair of modular end elements 8 a or 8 b.

Depending on the design specifications, for example depending on the thermal power required for the heat exchanger and on the intended space occupations, it is possible to provide a plurality of additional modular elements 9 a or 9 b, which are thus interposed between one of the modular end elements 8 a or 8 b and another additional modular element 9 a or 9 b or between two other additional modular elements 9 a or 9 b.

Moreover, in order to simplify the operations for forming said modular elements, each one is provided by two distinct and mutually interconnected half-elements.

With reference to the first embodiment, the additional modular element 9 a of the heat exchanger 1 a does not have partitions, so as to define, with the modular end elements 8 a, a single heat exchange chamber 3 with a single inlet 4 and a single evacuation duct which ends with the outlet 5.

Differently, in the second embodiment each additional modular element 9 b of the heat exchanger 1 b has a partition 10 which is such as to divide the inner volume of the heat exchanger 1 b into a plurality of heat exchange chambers 3, one for each pair of modular elements.

More specifically, in this embodiment each heat exchange chamber 3 is independent of the other heat exchange chambers 3, it being delimited laterally by a pair of modular elements, and has a dedicated inlet 4. Despite this, the heat exchange chambers 3 are connected to a single evacuation duct which ends with the outlet 5.

With reference to the third embodiment, shown in FIGS. 16 to 19, the heat exchanger 1 c in its minimum configuration can comprise a single modular end element 8 c with a closed profile, which is provided in a monolithic structure and delimits inside it a first heat exchange chamber 3 which is provided with a single inlet 4 and with a single outlet 5.

Advantageously, in this embodiment, in order to increase the thermal power that can be exchanged by the heat exchanger 1 c, one or more additional modular elements 9 c are provided which can be mutually associated laterally with the modular end element 8 c or with another additional modular element 9 c along at least one first plane which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

Each additional modular element 9 c has an open profile with a face 34 which is open in order to delimit inside it a second heat exchange chamber 23 and in order to define a dedicated inlet 4 when associated with the modular end element 8 c or with another additional modular element 9 c.

With reference to the fourth embodiment, shown in FIGS. 22 to 25, the heat exchanger 1 d is structured similarly to the heat exchanger 1 a of the first embodiment.

The heat exchanger 1 d in fact comprises two modular end elements 8 d, which are distinct and mutually associable.

More precisely, one or more additional modular elements 9 d are interposed between the modular end elements 8 d.

Depending on the design specifications, for example depending on the thermal power required for the heat exchanger and on the intended space occupations, it is possible to provide a plurality of additional modular elements 9 d, which are thus interposed between one of the modular end elements 8 d and another additional modular element 9 d or between two other additional modular elements 9 d.

Moreover, in order to simplify the operations for forming the modular elements, in this embodiment as well, each one of these modular elements is provided by two distinct half-elements which are mutually interconnected along a second plane which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction and is substantially perpendicular to the interface plane between one modular element and the next.

The peculiarity of the heat exchanger 1 d consists in that it can be assembled as a module together with other heat exchangers 1 d of the same type in order to provide a large heat exchange station in which the fluid to be heated passes through all the heat exchangers 1 d provided.

With reference to all four proposed embodiments, advantageously each modular element comprises at least one portion of the heat exchange elements 7 and at least one portion of the heat exchange chamber 3, 13 or 23 in order to obtain a heat exchanger 1 a, 1 b, 1 c or 1 d having different dimensions and technical characteristics according to the requirements.

More specifically, the heat exchange elements 7 comprise hollow pins 14, which extend through the heat exchange chamber or chambers 3 with a cross-section that is, for example, diamond-shaped or the like.

Conveniently, the hollow pins 14 run parallel to each other and substantially at right angles to the vertical direction.

Moreover, the hollow pins 14 can be crossed internally by the fluid to be heated since they are an integral part of a winding channel which is defined inside each modular element.

More precisely, the winding channel extends substantially along the direction of crossing of the combustion products and comprises a plurality of straight portions 15 and of curvilinear portions 16 which are mutually interleaved and are defined respectively by the hollow pins 14 and by the side walls of the box-like body 2 a, 2 b, 2 c or 2 d.

As can clearly be seen from the figures, for the first three embodiments the winding channel of an individual modular element is defined partly by one of the half-elements and partly by the other half-element.

Moreover, each one of the winding channels is connected at one end to a manifold 17 for the delivery of the fluid to be heated and, at the other end, to a manifold 18 for the return of the fluid to be heated, both manifolds being defined by the same modular element.

As a consequence of the assembly of the several modular elements of the heat exchanger 1 a, 1 b, 1 c or 1 d, each delivery manifold 17 and each return manifold 18 is connected respectively to the delivery manifold 17 and to the return manifold 18 of the adjacent modular element, so as to mutually connect the winding channels in parallel to each other.

In this manner, the set of winding ducts, i.e. of the straight portions 15 and of the curvilinear portions 16, of the delivery manifolds 17 and of the return manifolds 18, define the previously mentioned supply duct.

Moreover, since each one of the inlets 4 is designed to accommodate at least one burner 20, shown schematically in dashed lines, the hollow pins 14, which cross the corresponding heat exchange chamber 3, 13 or 23 from side to side, can be spaced from the respective inlets 4 in order to define a combustion chamber 21 and to prevent their combustion caused by the flame generated by the corresponding burner 20, as shown in the variations of the heat exchangers 1 a and 1 b of FIGS. 8 and 15.

In order to obtain a further increase in the thermal efficiency of the heat exchangers 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d, the heat exchange elements 7 comprise solid pins 19, which are connected to the inside walls of the box-like body 2 a, 2 b, 2 c and 2 d, are interposed between the hollow pins 14, and run substantially parallel to the hollow pins 14.

In this manner, the combustion gases are forced to flow completely over both the hollow pins 14 and the solid pins 19, thus increasing the efficiency of the heat exchangers 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d.

For the same reason for which the hollow pins 14 are spaced from the respective inlet 4, the solid pins 19, which can also consist of a radially extended finning of the hollow pins 14, can have an axial extension that increases as it extends away from the respective inlet 4 until they cross the respective heat exchange chamber 3, 13 or 23 from side to side, so as to contribute to delimiting the combustion chamber 21 and to prevent their combustion caused by the flame generated by the respective burner 20.

Operation of the heat exchanger 1 a, 1 b, 1 c and 1 d is clear and evident from the foregoing description.

More precisely, by varying the number of additional modular elements 9 a, 9 b, 9 c and 9 d it is possible to vary the dimensions of the corresponding heat exchanger 1 a, 1 b, 1 c or 1 d and, if provided, it is possible to vary the number of burners 20 with the corresponding heat exchange chambers 3, 13 and 23.

In practice it has been found that the heat exchangers with highly flexible use, according to the present invention, achieve the intended aim and objects, since they make it possible to adapt to any design context, i.e., by adapting to the dimensions and space occupations of the boilers and to the design specifications, thanks to the fact that they are provided in standardized modules.

In this manner it is possible to perform large-scale manufacture and at the same time, with the manufactured parts, provide heat exchangers to measure, with considerable economical saving with respect to the background art.

Another advantage of the heat exchangers according to the invention consists in that they have an assembly step which is simpler, faster and more intuitive than the background art, thanks to the presence of winding ducts which are obtained in each individual modular element and can be connected to each other.

A further advantage of the heat exchangers according to the invention consists in that they are structurally simple, reliable and safe in use.

Another advantage of the heat exchangers according to the invention consists in that, thanks to the shape of the hollow pins and of the solid pins, the volumes of the burned gases are optimized, since the passage of the gases through each heat exchange chamber is adequately obstructed.

A further advantage of the heat exchangers according to the invention consists in that there is greater freedom during the design phase as regards the placement and sizing of the hollow pins thanks to the presence of the solid pins, which can be placed where a void is created and which in any case contribute to the exchange of heat.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference numerals and/or signs, those reference numerals and/or signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference numerals and/or signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference numerals and/or signs. 

1. A heat exchanger with highly flexible use, comprising a box-like body which delimits inside it at least one heat exchange chamber and has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for the passage through said at least one heat exchange chamber of combustion products along a preferred path, said box-like body defining at least partly in its side walls at least one duct for feeding a fluid to be heated and inside said at least one heat exchange chamber heat exchange elements being provided and being associated with said at least one supply duct in order to increase the thermal efficiency of said heat exchanger, further comprising a plurality of distinct modular elements which are mutually interconnected in order to define said box-like body, each one of said modular elements comprising at least one portion of said heat exchange elements, at least one portion of said supply duct and at least one portion of said at least one heat exchange chamber.
 2. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said modular elements comprise two modular end elements which are distinct and associable.
 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein said modular elements comprise at least one additional modular element, which is distinct and interposed between said two modular end elements or between one of said modular end elements and another additional modular element or between two other additional modular elements.
 4. The heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein said modular end elements and said at least one additional modular element are each provided by two distinct and interconnected half-elements.
 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said modular elements comprise a modular end element and at least one additional modular element, which are distinct and mutually associable, said modular end element having a closed profile in order to delimit inside it a first heat exchange chamber and said at least one additional modular element having an open profile with an open face in order to delimit inside it a second heat exchange chamber when associated with said modular end element or with another additional modular element.
 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of heat exchange chambers, one for each pair of said modular elements, said heat exchange chambers being independent of each other and being each delimited by said pair of modular elements.
 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of inlets and one for each one of said heat exchange chambers.
 8. The heat exchanger according to claim 7, wherein each one of said inlets is designed to accommodate at least one burner.
 9. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchange elements comprise hollow pins, which are arranged inside said at least one heat exchange chamber and can be crossed internally by said fluid to be heated, said hollow pins running parallel to each other and substantially at right angles to the direction of crossing of said combustion products in said at least one heat exchange chamber.
 10. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein each one of said modular elements defines inside it a winding channel which runs substantially parallel to said direction of crossing, said winding channel comprising a plurality of straight portions and of curved portions which are mutually interleaved and formed respectively, by said hollow pins and in said side walls of said box-like body.
 11. The heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein each one of said winding channels is connected at one end to a delivery manifold of said fluid to be heated and at the other end to a return manifold of said fluid to be heated, each one of said delivery manifolds and each one of said return manifolds associated with the same one of said winding channels being defined by a single one of said modular elements and being connected respectively to the delivery manifold and to the return manifold of the adjacent modular element, said portions, said delivery manifolds and said return manifolds thus defining said supply duct.
 12. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein said hollow pins cross said at least one heat exchange chamber from side to side.
 13. The heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein each one of said winding channels is defined partly by one of said half-elements and partly by the other one of said half-elements.
 14. The heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein said hollow pins are spaced from said inlets in order to define a combustion chamber and to prevent their combustion caused by the flame generated by said at least one burner.
 15. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein said heat exchange elements comprise solid pins which are connected to the inside walls of said box-like body and are interposed between said hollow pins for a further increase in the thermal efficiency of said heat exchanger, said solid pins extending substantially parallel to said hollow pins.
 16. The heat exchanger according to claim 15, wherein said solid pins have an axial extension that increases as it extends away from said inlets until they cross said at least one heat exchange chamber from side to side in order to define said combustion chamber and to prevent their combustion caused by the flame generated by said at least one burner.
 17. A heat exchange station, comprising a plurality of heat exchangers, according to claim 1, which are mutually arranged, said fluid to be heated passing through all of said heat exchangers. 